Heater for the cooling water of internal-combustion engines



Patented July 5, 1949 HEATER FOR THE, COOLING WATER F INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Julian Henry Runbakcn, Wilmslow, England Application January 12, 1948, Serial No. 1,717 In Great Britain October 8, 1947 1 Claim. 1

This invention has for its object to provide an improved electrical heating device for preventing freezing of the cooling water of internal combustion engines for vehicles or for industrial purposes.

This invention comprises an electrical heater having a part which screws into the normal tapped aperture in the radiator for the drain tap and another part tapped to receive the drain tap so that installation of the heater necessitates only the removal of the drain plug from the radiator screwing the heater into the drain plug aperture, and screwing the drain plug into the heater.

The invention further comprises an electrical heater in which an electric resistance wire extends through a sleeve or tube projecting into the radiator space from the heater body, such sleeve or tube having apertures therein, the resistance wire being connected to a cap upon the sleeve or tube and to an insulated lead extending by a fluid tight joint to the outside of the heater Where it is connected to a socket for the external connec-- tion of the supply lead, the body of the heater constituting the earth return.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through a combined radiator water heater and drain tap constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 shows the device in position in the base of a radiator.

The ordinary drain tap a is removed from the tapped hole in the base b of the radiator c and is replaced by the heater device d which has a threaded end e similar to the threaded end of the tap so that the tWo parts are interchangeable.

The heater device comprises a sleeve or tube with holes g therein which projects from the heater body into the radiator and has a cap it thereon, between which and the plug 1' is carried an electric resistance wire heating element 7'. The insulated electric lead a" to the heating element makes a fluid tight joint with the plug i. The sleeve is secured by brazing or otherwise around the boss k on the end of the heater body.

The plate m which is secured on the heater body has a socket 11. secured thereto but electrically insulated therefrom at one end. This leads to the heater Another socket o secured thereto and in electrical connection therewith is at the other end of the plate m. The socket o is for the earth return connection. The two sockets have different sized apertures so that there can be no error in the electric connections plugged therein.

By providing a sleeve around the heating element 7' which does not have flow apertures at its top and bottom ends but only peripheral apertures of limited area, I find that the Water within the .sleeve heats to evaporation point and then discharges as steam with a degree of violence into the water in the bottom of the radiator, so setting up a considerable disturbance therein which is very advantageous in distributing heat throughout the radiator and preventing freezing.

The current for the heater may be obtained from a main current transformer on the motor vehicle. Such transformer may also supply a trickle charger for the vehicle battery. When the vehicle is stopped in an exposed place, the heater can be supplied direct from the battery. The latter arrangement whilst giving a lower heating wattage will however usually be sufiicient to prevent freezing.

It will be seen that all that is necessary to install my improved heater is to remove the ordinary drain plug, screw the heater into the drain plug aperture in the radiator and screw the drain plug into the heater. All this can be done without skilled labour or special tools.

What I claim is:

A heating device for preventing freezing of the cooling water in the radiator of an internal combustion engine for vehicles or for industrial purposes, comprising a metal tube adapted to screw into the tapped drain plug aperture of the radiator, and having a perforated part extending into the radiator and a part remaining outside the radiator, an electrical terminal carried. by and insulated from the outer part of the tube, an

electrical resistance wire attached at one end tothe inner end of the tube and extending through the perforated part of the tube, an electrical connection, from the other end of the resistance wire extending through the outer part of the tube by a fluid tight joint to the electrical terminal, a terminal conductively connected to the tube and a drain plug fixed at the outer end of the tube.

JULIAN HENRY RUNBAKEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,327,507 Walther Jan. 6, 1920 1,517,301 McMichael et a1 Dec. 2, 1924 1,747,184 Schauman Feb. 18, 1930 1,751,857 Nelson et a1 Mar. 25, 1930 1,968,713 Schreiber et al. July 31, 1934 

